Microsoft Whiteboard alternatives: what to use now that the apps are gone

What Microsoft changed, and when

Microsoft first gave earlier dates in August, then updated the timeline on August 25. Three different things have dates, so here they are by who they apply to, from Microsoft's own pages as read on November 2, 2026:

Microsoft hasn't named a replacement for personal accounts. Microsoft Loop is a page-and-document tool, not a canvas. The new Microsoft Ink Canvas app (October 2026) is for drawing on your own; it doesn't document live collaboration.

What you can still save

• Work or school account: your boards are .whiteboard files in OneDrive. Open them in Whiteboard on the web or in Teams, then use Settings → Export to save an image or a ZIP (HTML + JSON). Microsoft's WhiteboardAdmin PowerShell module can export all of your boards at once.
• Personal account: the app now shows a retirement screen. Personal boards aren't stored in OneDrive, and Microsoft hasn't published a way to recover them after October 16.
• PDF: only the retired desktop app exported PDF. Printing from the web version gives a blank page.

Our step-by-step guide covers each of these, including the bulk export: How to export your Microsoft Whiteboard boards.

On Instaboard you can drop exported images onto a board and draw on top of them. The free plan allows 3 images per board; Pro removes the limit.

What to look for in a replacement

We read the threads where Whiteboard users asked what to move to (r/Windows11, r/Surface, r/Office365, r/TutorsHelpingTutors and Microsoft Q&A). The same needs came up again and again:

• Pen that feels right. Pressure, palm rejection, the pen's side button, straight lines.
• Drawing together, live. Several people writing on the same board at once, not taking turns.
• Everything on one canvas. Screenshots, PDFs and notes next to the drawing, with room to keep going.
• Your devices. Surface and Windows, but also iPad, Android tablets and a laptop browser.
• A free plan you can live on. Many tools cap you at three editable boards.
• Something that will last. After Jamboard (2024) and now Whiteboard, people don't want to move a third time.

The alternatives side by side

Mural isn't in the table. It is a workshop tool for teams, and its help says the free plan keeps the three most recently created murals editable and shows visitors view-only (support.mural.co, read November 8, 2026). Our page on it is Mural alternatives.

Offline, Android, Mac, Linux and free: quick answers

Offline

Microsoft Ink Canvas, the new pen app for Windows, says you can write and sketch in it offline. It needs Windows 10 version 18362 or higher, a Microsoft account and sign-in, and it isn't documented as a shared, live board. Excalidraw keeps its one free scene in your browser's storage on your own device. Instaboard keeps your changes and syncs them when you're back online, but it isn't an offline-first app with local files. Miro's help center says its offline mode is currently not on its radar.

Android

Microsoft's retirement list names apps for Windows, iOS and Android, so the Android app is one of the three that retired on October 16. Instaboard has an Android app, as well as apps for iPhone and iPad, and the same boards open in any browser. Miro and Concepts also run on Android.

Mac

Microsoft's retirement list doesn't include a Mac app. On a Mac, Instaboard runs in the browser, and Apple Freeform is built in if everyone you work with uses Apple devices. For drawing with a pen, an iPad with Apple Pencil works well with Instaboard's iPad app.

Linux

None of the Microsoft apps on the list ran on Linux. Instaboard has no Linux app, but it runs in a modern browser, as does Excalidraw. Check pen-tablet support with your own setup before you rely on it.

Free

Free options that draw together live are Instaboard (5 boards, all editable), Excalidraw (1 scene, kept in your browser) and Miro (only 3 stay editable). OneNote and Microsoft Ink Canvas are free for drawing on your own. The side-by-side table has the limits.

Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams: who can still use it

Work or school account: Microsoft says Whiteboard stays available on the web, in Teams meetings, in a Whiteboard tab in a Teams chat, in the Whiteboard app inside Teams, and as .whiteboard files in OneDrive. Only the Windows, iOS and Android apps retired.

Sharing is inside your organization by default. Microsoft's pages say you can share a whiteboard in a Teams meeting with attendees from your own organization, and that OneDrive whiteboards can be shared only with people in your organization. People outside it can join only if your administrator has turned on the right settings, and then only during the meeting: Microsoft says outside attendees can't open the whiteboard after the meeting ends. Its External Sharing page describes guest access as business to business, with a guest account in your company's tenant and "Share with specific people" links.

Personal Microsoft account: the pages we read describe no Teams whiteboard path for personal accounts, only that the apps retired.

For a tutor: if your student isn't in your organization, a board link they open in a browser is simpler than guest setup. On Instaboard they can view without an account, and they sign in for free to write.

Our picks, and who each one is for

Instaboard: pen, cards and lists on one board (that's us)

Instaboard is a free infinite whiteboard that also plans. Write with a pressure-sensitive pen or Apple Pencil, then put cards, checklists and lists right next to your sketch. Hold the pen still to straighten a line, use the stylus side button to erase, and turn on stylus mode so your finger scrolls while the pen draws. Others see your pen live, follow your view and talk to you in a video call on the board.

Where it falls short: the eraser removes whole strokes, not parts of them. People you share with need a free account to write (anyone with the link can view). There's no Windows app; on Windows it runs in the browser.

Excalidraw: the simplest free sketchpad

Excalidraw is great for quick diagrams with a mouse and joins by link without accounts. The free version keeps one scene in your browser's storage, which can be cleared, so it's not where you keep a library of boards.

Miro: the big team whiteboard

Miro has the deepest feature set for business workshops and runs everywhere. On the free plan only your three most recent boards stay editable, and Miro's help center says offline mode is currently not on its radar.

OneNote: if you only need ink on your own

OneNote is free with a Microsoft account and great for handwritten notes. It's a notebook, not a shared canvas, so it doesn't replace drawing live with someone.

Apple Freeform: if everyone is on Apple devices

Freeform is free and lovely with Apple Pencil, but everyone needs an Apple device and an Apple account.

Questions